What would you have them do? If industry and production is to continue to grow and develop, the human worker will become obsolete. We already have robots which can operate factories and warehouses. Driverless vehicles are in development. Customer service and administration will soon become the domain of Virtual Intelligences. Should we develop a true AI then all of us are obsolete.

Do we take giant step backwards, dismantle the machines and force the majority into manual labour? Productivity would fall and discontent, crime and inequality would rise.

Do we continue automating, but make no provision for the people who will never be able to work because there is no work for them? Will they allow the rich to starve them to death or will they rebel?

Or would you rather we just unleashed a plague from the 'defence' labs to reduce the population?

Industries, companies and cultures which are being slow in adopting automation and VI are already falling behind those who are doing so more quickly. Their productivity is lower, their commodities more expensive.

I love to write, but I had to work, so writing is a hobby. If I'd had a UBI, I'd have written more, learned to do it better, and been able to sell some of it.

A UBI will mean millions more extending their education beyond High School. It will mean more artists, writers, musicians, athletes, actors, researchers in all fields and an explosion in craft industries such as ceramics, brewing, cabinet-making and so on. Because people will be free to follow their dreams rather than having to make a bare living working for big, anonymous corporations.

Yes, there will always be those who would rather become couch potatoes. But better that than become criminals!